Lawn mower safety guard

ABSTRACT

A rotary lawn mower comprising a deck housing supported by wheels for movement along the ground. A motor is supported upon the deck housing and drives rotary blade means disposed therebeneath. An upstanding handle is connected to the deck housing for control and manipulation of the mower. The handle is pivotally mounted upon the deck of flipover movement to facilitate opposite directional, longitudinal movement of the mower without having to turn it around. Novel guard means is provided on the mower to prevent an operator&#39;&#39;s foot from accidentally coming into contact with the rotary blade means. The guard means is constructed to so protect the operator&#39;&#39;s feet in both longitudinal directions of movement of the mower, and to minimize interference with efficient grass cutting.

United States Patent [1 1 Brucker LAWN MOWER SAFETY GUARD tWilliam S.Brucker, Towson, Md.

[73] Assignee: The Black and Decker Manufacturing Company, Towson, Md.

[22] Filed: Feb. 9, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 225,209

[ 75] Inventor:

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 2,561,293 7/1951 Ross..56/l7.4 2,578,880 12/1951 Doyle ..56/17.2 3,485,018 12/1969 Beckering..56/13.6

[4 1 Feb. 13, 1973 Primary ExaminerRussell R. Kinsey Att0meyLeonardBloom et a1.

[57 ABSTRACT A rotary lawn mower comprising a deck housing supported bywheels for movement along the ground. A motor is supported upon the deckhousing and drives rotary blade means disposed therebeneath. Anupstanding handle is connected to the deck housing for control andmanipulation of the mower. The handle is pivotally mounted upon the deckof flipover movement to facilitate opposite directional, longitudinalmovement of the mower without having to turn it around. Novel guardmeans is provided on the mower to prevent an operators foot fromaccidentally coming into contact with the rotary blade means. The guardmeans is constructed to so protect the opera: tors feet in bothlongitudinal directions of movement of the mower, and to minimizeinterference with efficient grass cutting.

2 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures LAWN MOWER SAFETY GUARD SUMMARY OF THEINVENTION The present invention is directed to a guard construction fora rotary lawn mower having a reversing handle for forward and reversemower travel, wherein the guard construction is interconnected with thehandle to position the guard for operator protection in both directionsof mower travel, and to prevent the guard from interfering withefficient mower operation, i.e., grass cutting. The guard isautomatically positioned in response to handle movement to prevent theoperators foot from accidentally coming in contact with rotary blademeans disposed beneath the mower deck, and from being struck by hardobjects which might be thrown outwardly of the deck by the rotatingblade means. At the same time the guard is automatically positioned,also in response to handle movement or positioning, to preventinterference with efficient cutting. Thus, the guard construction isdesigned for maximum operator safety with no adverse effect on theperformance of the mower in cutting. The guard construction embodiessimplicity and a minimum of change to existing mower construction andyet satisfies safety needs, and characteristically has a long life.

Main objects, therefore, of the present invention are to provide a novelguard construction for rotary lawn mowers having a reversible handle forforward and reverse mower travel, which guard construction protects thefeet of the operator in both directions of travel of the mower andoffers no impedance to mower cutting efficiency.

Further important objects of the present invention are to provide aguard construction of the above character which functions automaticallyto provide safety to the operator, and which is capable of adaptation toa variety of rotary lawn mowers of the type described with a minimum ofpart change or modification.

Additional important objects of the present invention are to provide anovel guard construction of the above character which is relativelyinexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, and reliable in use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparentfrom a consideration of the detailed description to follow taken inconjunction with the drawings annexed hereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of arotary lawn mower embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the construction of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a modified form of guard;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view, to an enlarged scale, showing arotary lawn mower including a specific constructional embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view for the construction of FIG.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the construction of FIG. 5 takenalong the lines 66 thereof; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now more specifically to the drawings, arotary lawn mower embodying the present invention is illustratedgenerally at 11 in FIGS. 1 and 2 and is seen to include a deck housing13 supported for movement along the ground by forward and rearwardwheels 15, 17, respectively. The deck 13 is provided with a peripheralskirt 18 which defines the blade enclosing cavity in which rotary blademeans 21 is disposed. A motor 23 is supported atop the deck 13 anddrivingly engages the blade means 21.

A handle 25 extends upwardly from the deck housing 13 for control andmanipulation of the mower 11. As shown, the handle 25 is pivoted to thedeck housing 13 by pins 27. The handle 25 is positionable as shown insolid lines and dot-dash lines in FIG. 1, in oppositely disposed,upwardly extending positions so that the mower 11 can be pushed inopposite longitudinal directions without having to turn the mower 11around. This is a relatively common practice particularly in a number ofelectric-powered, corded lawn mowers, and facilitates back and forthmower movement without danger of cutting the electric cord.

One of the safety considerations in rotary lawn mowers resides in theneed to protect the feet of the operator from accidentally coming incontact with the rotary blade means 21. In addition, it is importantalso to protect the operator from being struck by stones or other hardobjects thrown outwardly by the rotating blade means 21.

Traditionally, the lower peripheral edge of the deck housing skirt ofthese lawn mowers, although below the plane of the rotary blade means,is necessarily spaced above the ground so that the mower can pass overthe grass. To protect the feet of the user as he walks along behind themower, many of them embody a drag plate or similar device which extendsbelow the skirt and rides over the ground at the trailing end of thedeck housing.

In mowers of the type illustrated herein, the trailing end changes atthe end of each mower run since, to reverse the direction of travel, theuser reverses the handle, e.g., flips the handle over, and pushes themower from the opposite end, as distinguished from turning the moweraround at the end of each run. It will be appreciated then that toproperly protect the users feet in these mowers, a guard is needed atboth ends of the deck housing. However, while the guard at the trailingend of the deck (in the direction of movement) protects the operatorsfeet, the guard at the leading end of the deck actually impedesefficient mower use. This is so since a leading guard would engage thegrass and lay it flat before it can be cut by the blade means. Inaddition, the taller uncut grass engaged by a leading guard would offersubstantial resistance to mower movement.

In accordance with the present invention, novel guard means is providedat both ends of the deck housing and is interconnected with the movablehandle so that in each direction of lawn mower travel, the guard meansat the trailing end of the mower is in a position protecting theoperator's feet, while the guard means at the leading end of the moweris withdrawn from the guarding position and does not interfere withcutting action of the blade means or with movement of the mower.

One such guard construction embodying the present invention isillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 as including a pair of guards 31, 33 eachof which is generally U- shaped in configuration, having a transverseapron 37 and a pair of mounting arms 39, 41. As shown, the arms 39, 41are pivoted upon the deck 13 by pins 43 and each guard 31, 33 is movablefrom a raised, non-guarding position shown in full lines for the guard31 in FIGS. 1 and 2, to a lowered, guarding position shown in full linesfor the guard 33.

The guards 31, 33 are interconnected with the handle 25 so that guards31, 33 are movable into a desired respective position in response toreverse (e.g. flipover) movement of the handle 25. Thus, when it isdesired to move the mower 11 in a left hand direction, as seen in FIG.1, the handle 25 is positioned as shown in full lines therein so thatthe operator can walk along behind the mower l1 and manipulate andcontrol it by means of the handle. At this time, the guards 31, 33 aredesirably positioned as shown in full lines therein, the guard 33 beingin the lowered position to protect the operators feet 46 fromaccidentally coming into contact with the blade means 21 and the guard31 being raised to facilitate efficient cutting and easy movement of thelawn mower 11 in this direction. When the handle 25 is reversed andlocated in the position shown in dot-dash lines in FIG. 1, the mower 11is adapted to be moved in a right-hand direction. In this instance, itis desirable that the guard 31 be lowered to a guarding position and theguard 33 raised to a non-guarding position, these positions being shownin dot-dash lines in FIG. 1.

Interconnection between the handle 25 and the guards 31, 33 isillustrated schematically as linkage means including link components 45,47 suitably interconnecting the handle 25 with guard 31 and the handle25 with the guard 33 respectively. It will be appreciated that thislinkage means can take any of a number of desired shapes and/orconfigurations including pivoted links, cables, etc., it only beingnecessary that the linkage means cause the guards 31, 33 to move to thedescribed positions in response to handle movement. Thus, regardless ofthe direction of movement of the lawn mower 11, the guard at thetrailing end thereof is located to protect the feet of the operator fromaccidentally gaining access to the rotating blade means 21. FIG. 1illustrates an operators foot 46 and the manner in which the guard 33prevents accidental injury thereto.

A modified form of guard construction is illustrated generally at 53 inFIG. 3 and is seen to include a generally U-shaped body having an apron55 and a pair of arms 57, 59. This guard apron 55 includes a pluralityof downwardly depending teeth 56 which are spaced apart a distance toprevent access to the rotating blade means, and to prevent hard objectsthrown outwardly by the rotating blade means from injuring the operator.In all other respects, this version is substantially identical to thatillustrated and described above.

A specific constructional embodiment of guard con,- struction and aspecific linkage means according to the present invention is illustratedin FIGS. 4-6. The mower shown there includes a deck housing 61 supportedby forward wheels 63, 65 and rearward wheels 67, 69. A motor 71 issupported atop the deck 61 and drives a plurality of rotary blades 73,75 disposed beneath the deck 61 and within a cavity defined by aperipheral skirt 77. A handle 79 is pivoted to lugs 81, 83 rigid withthe deck 61 by pins 85, 87, respectively. As with the case in theconstruction described above, the handle 79 extends upwardly from thedeck 61 for control and manipulation of the mower and is adapted to bereversed or flipped over to oppositely disposed, inclined positions.This is to facilitate manipulation and control of the mower in oppositelongitudinal directions, that is, in a left-hand or right-hand directionas seen in FIGS. 4 and 5. Latching means (not shown) may be provided toreleasably secure the handle 79 in the described oppositely disposedpositions for safety reasons.

A pair of guards 91, 93 are pivotally secured at the forward andrearward ends of the deck housings 61 by pins 95, 96. These guards 91,93 are movable from a retracted position substantially coextensive withthe lower peripheral edge of the skirt 77 to a guarding posi tion wheretheyextend somewhat below a lower peripheral edge of the skirt 77 andcan engage the ground. As described above in FIGS. 1 and 2, the guards91, 93 are interconnected with the handle 79 so that when viewing thedirection of mower travel, the guard at the rearward or trailing end ofthe mower is always lowered and in the guarding position, while theguard at the leading end of the mower is in the raised or retractedposition. This is achieved by means of an elongated flexible cable 99interconnected at its ends to respective ones of the guards 91, 93 andat an intermediate point to the handle 79. As shown, the cable 99 may beconnected with handle 79 by a simple wire clip 101 crimped on cable 99,and to the guards 91, 93 by an enlarged nut 105 (see FIG. 6). In theembodiment shown, the cable 99 extends slidably through the wheelmounting portion of the deck housing 61 and is slidably guided thereinby grommets 107. Thus, when the handle 79 is in the position shown inFIGS. 4 and 5, the trailing guard 91 is lowered and in the guardingposition while the leading guard 93 is raised to facilitate entry ofgrass to the cutting blade means 73, for efficient cutting thereof. Whenthe handle 79 is flipped over to the opposite position from that shownin FIGS. 4 and 5, the cable 99 is moved linearly toward the right asseen in these figures thereby causing the guard 93 to drop downwardlyinto a guarding position and the guard 91 to be raised into anon-guarding position. In this position of parts, the mower is adaptedto travel in a left hand direction as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5.

The construction described and shown in FIGS. 4-6 thus functions insubstantially the same manner as that described above in FIGS. 1 and 2,that is, the feet of the operator are protected from gaining accessaccidentally to the cutting chamber and being injured by the rotatingcutting blade means for both directions of travel of the lawn mower. Inaddition, in both directions of travel of the lawn mower, the leadingguard is raised and provides no barrier to efficient and effectivecutting of the grass and does not impede mower travel. Thus, efficientcutting and easy mower use is maintained while providing maximum safetyto the operator.

By the foregoing there has been disclosed a novel guard construction forrotary lawn mowers which travel in opposite longitudinal directions, andwhile the pivotally attached thereto and positionable in first andsecond oppositely disposed, upwardly inclined positions, whereby tofacilitate manipulation and control of said lawnmower during movementthereof in opposite longitudinal directions; the improvement in saidlawnmower, which includes guard members pivoted to said deck at oppositeends thereof, each of said guard members having an uninterrupted apronadapted to span substantially the width of its associated end of saiddeck, means independent of said pivot connections interconnecting saidhandle and said guard members and operable to cause said first guardmember to pivot to a position below the skirt at one end of said deckhousing, and said second guard portion to pivot to a position at orabove-the skirt at the other end of said deck, when said handle is movedto a position inclined toward said first deck housing at said one end,said handle and said interconnecting means being operable to cause saidsecond guard portion to pivot into a position lower than the skirt atthe other end of said deck housing, and to pivot said first guardportion to a height at or above the skirt at said one end of said deckhousing, when said handle is moved into an oppositely inclined positiontowards said other end of said deck housing.

2. A rotary lawnmower comprising a deck housing supported fore and aftby wheels adjacent the side edges thereof, said deck housing defining ablade enclosure, rotary blade means disposed within said enclosure, amotor supported upon said deck housing and interconnected with saidrotary blade means to drive the latter, handle means extending upwardlyfrom said deck and movably supported thereon for movement from a firstto a second oppositely disposed position, whereby to facilitatemanipulation and control of said mower in opposite longitudinaldirections, guard means including first and second members pivoted onsaid deck adjacent opposite ends thereof and adapted to extend below thelevel of said blade enclosure and having uninterrupted aprons spanningsubstantially the distance from wheel to wheel at opposite ends,respectively, of said deck housing, linkage means independent of saidguard member pivots and interconnecting said guard members and saidhandle, and operable to lower the guard member at the trailing end ofsaid deck and raise the guard member at the leading end of said deck inresponse to positioning said handle for manipulation and control of saidmower, whereby said guard members are positioned to protect the feet ofthe user from gaining access to the blade cavity as he walks along inback of the mower in either direction of movement thereof, and wherebysaid guard members present minimum impedance to grass cutting at theleading end of said mower.

1. A lawnmower of the type comprising a deck including a peripheralskirt supported by wheels for movement over the ground, a motorsupported upon said deck, rotary blade means disposed beneath said deckand within said skirt and driven by said motor, a handle extendingupwardly from said deck and pivotally attached thereto and positionablein first and second oppositely disposed, upwardly inclined positions,whereby to facilitate manipulation and control of said lawnmower duringmovement thereof in opposite longitudinal directions; the improvement insaid lawnmower, which includes guard members pivoted to said deck atopposite ends thereof, each of said guard members having anuninterrupted apron adapted to span substantially the width of itsassociated end of said deck, means independent of said pivot connectionsinterconnecting said handle and said guard members and operable to causesaid first guard member to pivot to a position below the skirt at oneend of said deck housing, and said second guard portion to pivot to aposition at or above the skirt at the other end of said deck, when saidhandle is moved to a position inclined toward said first deck housing atsaid one end, said handle and said interconnecting means being operableto cause said second guard portion to pivot into a position lower thanthe skirt at the other end of said deCk housing, and to pivot said firstguard portion to a height at or above the skirt at said one end of saiddeck housing, when said handle is moved into an oppositely inclinedposition towards said other end of said deck housing.
 1. A lawnmower ofthe type comprising a deck including a peripheral skirt supported bywheels for movement over the ground, a motor supported upon said deck,rotary blade means disposed beneath said deck and within said skirt anddriven by said motor, a handle extending upwardly from said deck andpivotally attached thereto and positionable in first and secondoppositely disposed, upwardly inclined positions, whereby to facilitatemanipulation and control of said lawnmower during movement thereof inopposite longitudinal directions; the improvement in said lawnmower,which includes guard members pivoted to said deck at opposite endsthereof, each of said guard members having an uninterrupted apronadapted to span substantially the width of its associated end of saiddeck, means independent of said pivot connections interconnecting saidhandle and said guard members and operable to cause said first guardmember to pivot to a position below the skirt at one end of said deckhousing, and said second guard portion to pivot to a position at orabove the skirt at the other end of said deck, when said handle is movedto a position inclined toward said first deck housing at said one end,said handle and said interconnecting means being operable to cause saidsecond guard portion to pivot into a position lower than the skirt atthe other end of said deCk housing, and to pivot said first guardportion to a height at or above the skirt at said one end of said deckhousing, when said handle is moved into an oppositely inclined positiontowards said other end of said deck housing.